Food grinder having a split casing



Jan, 24, 1950 w, s -rz 2,495,309

FOOD GRINDER HAVING A SPLIT CASING Filed Dec. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l 14 w 6'8 12 J5 Wm 16 v INVENTOR. WALTER R. AMsTuTz Jan. 24, 1950 w. R. AMSTUTZ 2,495,309

FOOD GRINDER HAVING A SPLIT CASING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1946 INVENTOR. WALTER R AMSTUTZ' @wfi m Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNj-ITELD PATENT canoe TODD GBINDERTHAVINGA SPLIT CASING.

WalterRi-Amstutz, Chicago, 111., .assignor to Butiler Brothers, Chicago, 111., -a corporation of. Illi:

.nois

ApplicationDecember 13, 1946,Se1'ial'No. 715,923.

4:01aims. 1 This invention-relates to afood chopper particularly designed-for removable mounting on a wall bracket;

One object of the invention is 'toprovide atical axis whereby gravity-aids in-the'feed 'of' thematerial to; the cutter plates, ageared-down connection being provided between the crank shaft and the-feed screw for easeof operation of the screw.

A further objectis to provide a feed chute formed on alra'dius',=and a feed plateasswingable in the chute, a handle for operating the feed plate being provided outside the casing of the food chopper so -that-all' danger 'ofthe operator getting his fingers into thefeed screw is-eliminated.

With these and-other -objects in view, myin-- vention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of'theuvarious'parts of my food chopper whereby the objects mentioned as well as other obviousuobjectscontemplated are, attained, as. hereinafterwmore fully set .forth,.

pointed out in my claims .andrillustrated in. the accompanying drawings, :wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveviewofa food chopper embodying my invention.

Figure "1a is a :sect'ional' line on the line Ia- I a of Figure 1.

Figure 21 is a "reduced vscale perspective view showing one 'part only of the casing of the food chopper.

Figure -3 is a perspective viewoi the companion part of the casing-and the operating crank.

Figure 4' is an explodedperspective view of the operatingparts of the'food-chopper removed from thecasing.

Figure '5 i is a a plan viewof the food chopper.

FigureGis a sideelevationthereof with parts broken awayandotherparts-shown in section.

Figure 7 is afront'elevation thereof with parts broken away and other parts ,shown in section, and

Figure 8 'is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

On the accompanying drawings I have used means.

the reference numeral lll to indicate a bracket which may besecured'toakitchenwall, pantry" Wall or other'wall as'of' a cabinet by-"means of" counter-sunk wood screws P2 or any suitable- The bracket 10 has a dove-tail notch, the floor of which is indicated at M and the sides of which are indicated at [6. The sides 16 taper inwardly and downwardly as shown in' Figure't for a purpose which will'hereafter appear.

The casing of the food'chopper is formed of two parts indicated generally at A and B. The parts A and B have mounting lugs IB- and 20 which are adapted to fit the dove-tail l'4l6 asshown in Figure 8,-the-'1ug l-B havinga-pair of projections 22- entering sockets 24 of thel'ug-ZO.

This arrangement insures that the lugs I8 and" 20' will be properly indexed in relation to each other and crowded into close contact as the lugs I8 and 2!! are pushed downwardly' in the notch [4-4 6 manually and due -to gravity.

The casing AB has a feed chute portion 26' and a feed screw portion 28. A feedplate '3ll'is pivotally-mounted'byhaving a shaft 32 pivoted in an opening 34 ofthe-casing-half-A and-an'opening 36 of the casing half 'B. -A lever 38 is mounted on the shaft adjacent and-on-the outside of the casing half A for the purpose-of imparting swing ing action to the feed plate 30' as from the position of Figure 2' (dot anddash position of Figures 6 and 7) and the full line position of Figures '6 and7.

In the position of'Figure'Z'the chute 26 is operr.

for the introduction 'of meat or other'commodities to be choppedin the food chopper and thefeed plate 30 may then be swung through adegree are by applying pressurexon the handle '38 for-positively feeding the material to the oper-- ating mechanism of the food chopper.

The-operating mechanism consistsxof a feed screw 40 having the usual spiral conveyor thread, coarse at the top and-finer'at'the bottom. The feed screw has at'its'upperend a bevel gear-42. The bevel gear 42*mesheswith a bevel .piniorr 4'4 mounted on a shaft 46g The-shaft 4B is ro-- tat'able in the casing half B and has a reduced end48'whic'h rotates'in the casi'nghalf'A. A fur ther reducedend Bil is threaded to receive a -re-- tainer nut52. On-the-end-of the shaft' -ifiacrank arm 54 is attached=as by-a screw threaded-connection, and a crank handle- SB- iS-rotatableon a stud 58-extending'f rom the crank arm.

It will be noted that the casing A--B is provided with a parting line formed in several sections indicated at tug-62', (i l, 66 and; Between the bevel gear and pinion and the feed screw 40 3 a partition is provided, half of which is formed in the casing half A, and the other half in the casing half B.

The partition 10 has an opening I2 which journals a shouldered portion H of the feed screw 42. The parting line 60 and the parting line between the two halves of the partition 10 are rabbeted as shown in Figure 1a. This provides a tight, wellfitting joint which can be readily formed when the casing halves are made of die castings.

The lower end of the feed screw 40 is reduced as at M and this portion rotates in an opening 76 of the stationary cutter plate 18. The plate 18 is held stationary by means of four lugs 80 thereon fitting notches 82 of the feed screw portion 28 of the casing AB. The plate 18 is in turn held in position by a rotary cutter plate 84 having an integral nut 86 threaded on a further reduced portion 88 of the lower end of the feed screw 40. This arrangement effects rotation of the cutter plate 84 simultaneously with the feed screw 40 for causing this plate to shear 01f meat or the like forced through the openings of the stationary cutter plate 18 by the feed screw.

My .food chopper is comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture. It can be left mounted on the wall or taken down when not needed, as desired. After use it is readily cleaned by the removal of the food chopper from the bracket and the two nuts 52 and 86. Removal of the nut 52 permits the casing parts A and B to be disassociated from each other as in Figures 2 and 3 for ready cleaning of all internal surfaces. Removal of the nut 86 permits the cutter plates 18 and 84 to be taken off the feed screw and the feed screw then lifted out of its position in the opening 72 of the partition 10 as in Figure 4. All the parts in Figures 2, 3 and 4, can obviously be readily cleaned and the re-assembly of the parts involves only the putting thereof together, the rescrewing of the nuts 52 and 86 in position and the mounting of the food chopper on the bracket ID. The food chopper is then ready for operation.

Due to the vertical mounting of the feed screw, gravity aids in the feeding of material through the chopper. Gravity also aids in the feeding of the material into the feed screw in addition to manual pressure applied by the feed plate 30. The operator swings the feed plate 30 by means of the lever 38 from a position entirely outside the food chopper casing so there is no danger of getting his fingers into the operating mechanism.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my food chopper without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a food chopper, a casing having a feed screw portion, a feed screw therein and arranged on a vertical axis, a crank shaft arranged on a horizontal axis, step-down bevel gearing for operatively connecting said crank shaft to said feed screw, a stationary cutter plate at the lower end of said feed screw, a rotary cutter plate coacting therewith and mounted on the lower end of said feed screw, said casing having a feed chute portion located at the side of said feed screw portion, said casing being formed in two parts with a parting line between the parts, and means for retaining said parts together at one point, comprising a retainer nut on said crank shaft, and for retaining said parts together at another point, comprising a mounting lug on each casing half adapted to be confined in a socket of a mounting bracket.

2. In a food chopper, a casing having a feed screw portion, a feed screw therein, a crank shaft for operating said feed screw, a stationary cutter plate, a rotary cutter plate coacting therewith and mounted on said feed screw for rotation therewith, said casing having a feed chute portion located for conducting material to said feed screw portion, said casing being formed in two parts, and means for retaining said parts closed at two points, comprising a retainer nut on said crank shaft and a mounting lug on each casing half adapted to be confined in a socket of a mounting bracket.

3. A food chopper of the character disclosed comprising a two part casing, said parts being separable from each other, a mounting bracket for said casing, said casing parts having lugs adapted to be wedged in a dove-tail notch of said bracket for holding said casing together at one point, an operating shaft, a retainer nut for said shaft operable to connect said casing parts together at another point, a feed screw operatively connected with said shaft, and stationary and rotatable cutter plates mounted on said casing and feed screw, respectively.

4. In a food chopper, a casing having a feed screw portion, a feed screw therein and arranged on a vertical axis, a crank shaft arranged on a horizontal axis, step-down bevel gearing for operatively connecting said crank shaft to said feed screw, a stationary cutter plate at the lower end of said feed screw, a rotary cutter plate coacting therewith and mounted on the lower end of said feed screw, said casing having a feed chute portion located at the side of said feed screw portion, said casing being formed in two parts with a parting line between the parts, means for retaining said parts together at one point, comprising a retainer nut on said crank shaft, and for retaining said parts together at another point, comprising a mounting lug on each casing half adapted to be confined in a socket of a mounting bracket and a feed plate pivoted in said chute portion adapted for forcing materials from the chute portion into the feed'screw portion, said feed plate being pivoted in the two parts forming the casing and being removable therefrom when the parts are separated.

WALTER R. AMSTUTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 43,427 Perry July 5, 1864 473,166 Shepard Apr. 19, 1892 1,647,196 Rollman Nov. 1, 1927 1,675,309 Knowlton July 3, 1928 1,787,734 Rowling Jan. 6, 1931 2,106,711 Berkman Feb. 1, 1938 2,174,140 Schofield Sept. 26, 1939 2,410,709 Brooks Nov. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,663 Austria June 15, 1902 

